In this post, I gently delve into the topic of diversity in the 5 Boroughs of New York City. What are the Boroughs? If you’re new here, like I once was, they are: Manhattan, Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. And how do they measure up to one another in terms of diversity? I’d say Queens takes the cake, and is the most diverse borough of them all. But we’ll get into that later on in the article.
First, let’s look at NYC’s diversity on the whole. The city is home to the second largest population of Asian Americans (California takes the top position there). Nearly 4% of the city identifies as not straight, which is over 500,000 people, in one city! My home town didn’t even have that many people. So it says a lot; NYC is an amazing melting pot of cultures, heritages, and identities.
Queens
Even though it’s an area of only one hundred square miles (roughly), it’s the most ethnically diverse place on the planet. Even within Queens, walking a block or two can transport you between hugely distinct cultures. Take these few examples of neighborhoods within Queens: Flushing (home to many Chinese people, their restaurants, shops and customs), Jackson Heights (Similarly for people of Indian heritage), Astoria (Greek) and Corona (Latin America). You can travel more of the world in an afternoon, walking around in Queens, than you can in a week on a 747. And no currency exchange fees! It’s truly a joy to experience.
Peace
All of these people with different cultures, traditions, beliefs and priorities, all living next to each other, coexisting in peace. While it’s a loud city, and it can be totally busy and chaotic at times, the peace between people is palpable. That’s the peace that matters. I feel truly grateful for having had the chance to experience it.
Manhattan
Manhattan is probably the least diverse of the 5 Boroughs. This isn’t to say that it’s not diverse at all, it really is compared to the rest of the world! But within the jewel of diversity that is NYC, it’s the diversity is really in terms of people from different countries, rather than different cultures. It’s home to a lot of the city’s financial institutions, which used to be dominated by white men, but things are improving. That’s not to say that Manhattan is a bad place of course, with such a cosmopolitan population, you will meet people from all over the world, and there’s a lot of excitement and positivity in the air. Everyone, all the time, all over the world, talks about wall street. It’s a strange feeling to find yourself walking on it!
If you’re looking to visit, I have to recommend that you get all the big “bucket list” items done on the first day, (Statue of Liberty, Times Square, etc) so you can appreciate the real New York once you’ve found your feet. Even try to make it out to Niagara Falls, if you have time. When I visited, we took the little trip on the Maid of the mist, which was a pretty amazing experience. You do get completely soaked so be sure to buy the over-priced plastic ponchos!
Brooklyn
If there’s a borough that would rival Queens for diversity, it’s Brooklyn. It’s home to a lot of people of African, Caribbean, and Latin American descent. It’s also home to a lot of young people, artists, musicians, and hipsters. It’s a very cool place to visit, and it’s also home to a lot of my favorite places to hang out. If you’re looking for a place to stay, you can’t go wrong with the nearby neighborhoods of Dumbo, Brooklyn Heights, or Brooklyn Heights itself.
Overall, the diversity in the 5 boroughs is nothing short of fantastic. If you haven’t traveled the world yet, get a dose of it right here in the USA. You won’t regret it. You might even end up staying, and studying!